Epilogue
Juniper
Six Weeks Later
“We’re going to be late. Fuck, we’re going to be so late,” I chant breathlessly, no real heat behind it, because there never is when I’m bent over and presenting for one of my alphas or beta as they fuck me into oblivion.
Creek snickers from between my legs, tongue lapping at my clit while Evron pounds into me at a pace that has fireworks exploding between my eyelids.
“Fuck, yes, so good. Just like that,” I cry, changing my tune very quickly, much to the amusement of my alphas.
“We’ll let you go as soon as you come one more time, sweetheart. Just one more, and you’re free to party your heart out,” Evron informs through gritted teeth, full of humor and desire, even as he pounds into me like a man possessed.
“Give it to us, beautiful,” Creek demands, and I can hear the stupidly handsome grin in his voice before he laps at my clit and sucks hard.
Apparently, that’s all I needed to send me over the edge for the third time this morning, my body trembling as waves of pleasure flood my body and I come so hard that I might black out for a second.
“Fuck, yeah,” Ev groans, right before he pushes his shaft as deep as he can go and loses himself inside me, his come joining Creek’s as he spurts his release deep inside my pussy. The fucker even grinds his knot against my opening, and panic has my eyes widening and my afterglow halting as I blurt, “Don’t you fucking dare knot me right now, Evron Gatlin.”
“Oh, our sassy omega just full-named you,” Creek laughs before pressing a series of kisses over my pubis and hip bones.
I can hear Evron’s eye roll as he pants for air, the smile in his voice evident as the yanks me upright and says, “I learned my lesson the last time, trust me. It’s not a mistake I’ll be repeating unless absolutely necessary.”
The time he speaks of was a week after our six-day-long heat-fest where I forgot my own name, had to relearn how to use my legs, and smelt of my alphas and betas for days after, despite several showers. The flirty alpha woke me on a school day in the best way, slowly making love to me until my eyelids fluttered open before fucking me like an animal. He got so carried away that he knotted me, rendering me late for an exam I was set to take that morning. Thankfully, professors at North Five are pretty cool and understanding. I managed to take my exam later in the afternoon, but I still could have killed Evron for making me late to begin with, even if the orgasms were mind blowing.
“Anyway, have I told you how beautiful you are when you’re freshly fucked and smiling like you own the world and everything in it?” my cheeky alpha croons in my ear, slowly sliding from my body.
“You have, on many occasions, but I really like hearing it,” I inform seriously, lips twitching when both he and Creek laugh.
“Come on, you. Let’s have the quickest shower and get you outside to greet your guests. It’s your birthday, after all. It’s only fair we let you enjoy your birthday party,” Creek commands with a smile, helping me out of Evron’s bed that I slept in last night and to the ensuite shower .
We’re washed and dressed in record time, my hair dried and styled in plum-colored beach waves, my black-chiffon summer dress and leather jacket complementing my Doc Martens with purple laces.
Evron whistles as soon as he sees me, appreciation painting his face as he says, “Absolutely knock out, Blue. Fucking beautiful.”
I hum under my breath, walking into his arms and stealing a quick kiss. When I pull back, I whisper, “Love you.”
“Love you more,” he volleys, winking when I roll my eyes playfully, before leading me to the backyard where the party has already started. It’s late afternoon and people are milling around with beer bottles in hand, a barbeque in play that is securely manned by Geo. The twins are missing, and I spot pack Larsen lounging in one of the patio sets near the firepit.
Silver is here with her cousin, Alek, their likeness is startling enough that I was genuinely surprised when she introduced him as her cousin and not her brother. His hair is a light blond that I assume is Silver’s natural color, eyes brown instead of silver like his cousin’s, but the same cheekbones, chin, and bubbly personality. He’s a decade older, charming and handsome, and as goofy as Silver, and we meshed as soon as we met when he drove Silver here for a visit after my heat broke.
“Go say hi, beautiful,” Creek gestures, patting my ass before watching me head in Silver’s direction.
A beer bottle is placed in my hand as I pass Munro, and I grin at him before taking a swig, never skipping a step as I walk toward one of two of my best friends.
“Hey, Kitten! Happy birthdaaaay !” the pastel princess sings as soon as I’m close enough, yanking me into a tight hug a second later.
Laughing, I pat her back and hug her, officially used to Silver’s brand of affection. “Thank you, pixie.”
“Of course. It’s our first birthday we’re celebrating! Have you opened your gift from me yet? Please say you did. It’s so good. So you ,” she sprouts quickly, and Alek is forced to slap a hand over her mouth .
“For the love of god, breathe, you nutcase,” he snickers, ignoring the glare Silver sends him. Instead, he shrugs at me and says, “In her defense, she’s an excellent gift giver, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to go postal when you see what she got you.”
“Oh, hell. Is it bad?” I cringe, the two of them already aware of how much I hate people spending money on me after the sneaky fuckers paid my medical bills after I broke my arm in the car crash. Apparently, the heifer and her cousin are filthy rich and thought nothing of it to pay my bills, and I damn near killed them for it. Just because they have money, doesn't mean they should waste it on me. It was a whole argument between the three of us, one I lost with very little effort, but still. I digress.
“Not as bad as the hospital bills, but definitely no better,” Alek quips, grinning at me as dread fills me. “Have fun with that.”
Groaning, I drop my head back and grumble, “Did anyone listen when I demanded no presents?”
“No!” several voices shout, and I turn to glare at my guys and pack Larsen, flipping them off with both middle fingers now that I’m cast-less and my arm works again.
Laughter answers me and I shake my head, taking a hearty mouthful of beer. Looks like I’m going to need it if I plan on surviving today. When I pull the bottle away from my mouth, I glare at Silver and ask, “Did you go over budget?”
“Only a little. It’s worth it, though,” she answers easily, and I groan, because now I know it’s going to be way too much. How the hell will I top it for her birthday? Fuck my life. “Anyway, enough about presents. There’s a big, gruff guy over there. Looks like he’s looking for you.”
Sure enough, when I peer over my shoulder, I find a burly biker with a killer beard and a scowl standing on the top step of the patio with a gift bag in one hand and a toddler on his waist.
Grinning at the sight of Mack holding a kid, I shake my head and tell Silver, “I’ll be back to chew you out over your present giving. ”
“Whatever. You’ll be kissing me when you see it,” she snickers, leaning in for another hug and a kiss to the cheek, whispering sweetly in my ear, “Love you, bestie.”
“Love you,” I reciprocate, the word coming much easier than it used to.
Flashing me a grin, she shoos me away and I head toward Mack and the kid who looks just like his mother. As soon as I’m close enough, Gabby’s son reaches his chubby little hands toward me, and Mack hands him over reluctantly with a smile so soft it still shocks me.
“Hey, you. Where’s Gabby and the gang?” I ask, leaning in for a side hug, squeezing Mack tight like I usually do now.
Ever since my accident, Mack made the decision to move here since he couldn’t handle the thought of being so far away when I was in trouble. Phone calls and check-ins simply weren’t enough, and the closet softie decided to open a bar here and move his entire life so he could be near. I’ve teased him endlessly about it, his gruff biker exterior a front for the soft-hearted man beneath. What I didn’t expect in the slightest was him finding his pack and place with Gabby. It was instant, love at first sight, and the rest of her pack welcomed Mack with open arms. He’s slotted himself perfectly into being a family man, and I have to say, it suits him.
“Morning sickness got the better of her, but she should be here with Aaron shortly. The others are parking the car. I took that monster with me so they didn’t have to listen to Baby Shark for the billionth time,” Mack informs, grinning at me at the mere mention of his pregnant alpha. I’m confident the baby is his, but we’ll never know, since they’re all content to leave DNA out of their family dynamic. I love it for them, for Mack. He deserves the happiness a pack brings.
“The only monster here is that beard,” I banter, tugging on the long hair and making the kiddo on my hip giggle and clap his hands. When Mack swats my hands away and shoves the gift at me, I roll my eyes and accept it, glaring down at the pretty bag. “So, no one listened at all, I guess.”
“Got to get you something on your birthday. Get over it, kid,” Mack snorts, taking his child from me before inhaling. With a hungry rumble, he says, “I’m gonna see if any of that food is done. I’m fucking starving.”
He’s gone before I can utter a word, and I laugh at that particular familiarity. Peeking into the gift bag and finding two cases of cupcakes I know Gabby baked herself, I grin and run them into the house, hiding them from sight in case someone gets the crazy idea of stealing one. I will literally gnaw off their arm if they try, and since today is supposed to be a celebration, it’s probably best I hide them. I consider it my daily good deed. I mean, I’m basically saving someone's life, right?
Chuckling to myself, I start to make my way out of the kitchen, only pausing when the door opens and the twins come striding inside. They don’t see me at first, whispering to one another animatedly, and I lean against the counter as I watch them for a moment before clearing my throat. Both of them startle, and I grin at the pair when one grins back and the other playfully glares.
“That’s not cool,” Lowie grips, striding over to press a hard kiss to my mouth. When he pulls back, I’m still grinning, and he rolls his eyes with a lip twitch of a suppressed smile. “What are you doing in here, anyway? Don’t you have guests to mingle with?”
I shrug, accepting three consecutive kisses from Leylan, learning early on that they stand for ‘I love you’, before answering, “Mack ditched me because there was food. Silver is being a pain in my ass and teasing me with a gift that I know with certainty is too much, and I had a gift of Gabby-made cupcakes I had to hide. What are you guys up to?”
“It’s a surprise,” Leylan answers, winking before waltzing away without a care in the world.
“Alright then,” I drawl, shaking my head with a bemused laugh .
Lowie finally blesses me with a grin, and says, “It’s our gift to you. We figured we could get away with this one, since we didn’t actually spend money on it.”
My eyebrows pinch in confusion as I wonder what that could possibly mean, but then Lowie is taking my hand and dragging me back outside, leading me straight to the pack that quickly became my second family.
Rage and Haze stand and hug me at the same time as soon as I reach their little circle, offering me birthday wishes before claiming their seats again.
“We left your gift on the table over there,” Haze informs, and my head snaps up, my gaze landing on a table that holds several gifts already.
“Fuck my life,” I mutter, and Aero laughs as he yanks me into a tight hug, picking me off the ground and swinging me around like the dramatic little omega he is.
“Don’t be a stickler, hon. We’re allowed to buy you shit,” he teases, pressing a kiss to my temple before releasing me. “Anyway, only three of them were bought. The other was made with time, sweat, blood and anger. Also, a joint endeavor I never expected, but that’s all you’re getting out of me.”
“Alright then, you ominous dick,” I snicker, shoving him playfully out of the way, making him laugh as he dramatically falls back into his seat.
Pace replaces him the next second, side-hugging me tightly, his shoulder fixed up and good as new. He still holds some guilt over the accident, kidnapping, and attempted murder, but we’re working on it. “Happy birthday, June.”
“Thanks,” I grin, patting him on the back before releasing him and claiming a seat on Munro’s arm of the chair.
My platonic twin flame pats my leg and smiles up at me, a rare expression from the thundercloud beta, and asks, “How close to a conniption are you from all the gifts? ”
“Too close, Ro. Too fucking close,” I breathe, shaking my head at his snort. “But thank you, anyway. Even though no one listened to me, it’s nice. I’m enjoying myself.”
“And that’s all that matters,” he volleys, flicking my hair from my face before taking a long draw of his beer.
Nodding, I lean into the chair and Munro’s shoulder before asking the whole pack, “So, have you guys figured out what you’re gonna do about the whole living situation? You know you’re all welcome here.”
Pace is already shaking his head, and I know the answer I’ll receive before he says it. “We’re not going to impose. You guys have only been bonded for, what, five weeks?”
“Six,” Munro and I correct at the same time, rolling our eyes at one another straight after.
“Whatever. We’re not moving here and bursting the little love bubble you guys have going on right now,” he finishes, shrugging like it’s no big deal.
I sigh, finishing my beer and placing the empty bottle at my feet. “Fine. I’m not getting into that argument again with you.”
The others laugh, already used to the bickering between Pace and I. No matter how many times me and the guys offer, we’re constantly rebuffed, despite the space we have here. It wouldn’t be a hardship to house pack Larsen until they get back on their feet, but Pace is as stubborn as I am and simply won’t go for it. Is it a pride thing? Fuck knows. It could be. But no matter what it is, he refuses my offer regardless.
Lost in thought, I run my eyes over the yard, finding Silver and her cousin laughing. I move on from them, still thinking, before a lightbulb goes off in my head and my gaze snaps back to my bubblegum bestie. An idea forms in my head, and I find myself blurting, “What about Silver’s place? She has way more room than us, and there’s only her living there. Pretty sure she mentioned posting an ad for roommates last week. That’s always an option. ”
Munro goes stone still, but I ignore the prickly bastard, already used to the way he and Silver fight like cats and dogs. Pace, however, appears to mull over the idea while Aero looks over at Silver and narrows his eyes, the twins avoiding the conversation altogether.
Shrugging, I mutter, “Just think about it. Silver’s place is better than homeless, if you ask me. If you’re not going to accept my offer to stay here, then take the next best thing. I can even talk to Silver for you, if you’d like.”
When I don’t receive an answer, I sigh and decide to go mingle again.
“I’ll be back when the atmosphere doesn’t seem so strained,” I snicker, hugging Munro, who offers a squeeze back stiffly before letting me wander away.
I’m halfway to the mini fridge the guys brought out here when the back door opens and several figures step out of the house. It takes a moment for each of their features to compute in my mind, but when they do, I freeze where I stand as I stare up at pack Ledger. Crane, Nolan, and Kaleb are fanned out around Mama Bear, each one still looking like they used to when I was a kid, only with a few more wrinkles than they had before. They’re looking around, as though searching for something, and I only momentarily wonder if that something is me when Bear’s eyes land on me and instantly fill with tears.
“Juni-bear,” she croaks, right before she’s bounding down the steps in all of her small—but mighty—glory, barreling right into me the moment she’s close enough. I’m bundled in her strong arms that always exuded safety when I was a child, squeezed into a hug I’d recognize even if I were unconscious.
“Mama Bear,” I rasp, emotion choking me as I inhale a lungful of butter and scones, a scent that brings back every memory of this woman taking care of me, treating me like her own child, and offering all the hugs my parents never gave me .
“G’ah, I’ve missed you, my girl. My sweet, sweet girl,” she cries, sniffling as she hugs me even tighter, almost like she has no plan to let me go. I’d be absolutely okay with that.
We stay that way for a long while, embracing and crying, soaking in the moment like we’re afraid it’ll disappear like a mirage in an overheated and water-less desert. By the time Bear pulls away, her pretty, blue eyes are bloodshot and still filled with tears, but there’s a blinding smile on her face as she cups my jaw gently with one hand while her other teases a strand of my purple hair. “I love this color, especially on you. It looks so good.”
I laugh, feeling like I’m having an out of body experience as I shrug and confess, “I remember you telling me purple was your favorite, especially dark plum. As soon as I saw it, I thought of you, and knew it was the color to go for. I’ve had it this way for a few months now.”
“Oh, don’t tell her that, or she won’t stop crying,” Kaleb chimes in, smiling sadly at me the moment he takes up a position next to his wife and omega. “Hey, kiddo.”
“Hi,” I laugh, right before I launch myself at the man, hugging him tight enough that he grunts. He hugs me back just as tight, though, and before I know it, we’re laughing and crying and acting like a bunch of emotional idiots in the middle of the back yard.
“Alright, you have to share. I thought we already taught you that before we formed the pack,” Crane teases, snatching me from Kaleb, cuddling me tight before releasing me into Nolan’s arms. He hugs me just as tight as the others, and I find a sense of peace in their embraces. It’s like a part of my soul has finally slotted back into place after being torn out eight years ago, a small, pack-sized hole filling now that Bear and her husbands are here.
When Nolan releases me, he gently clocks my chin with his fist and says, “We’ve fucking missed you, kid.”
“Language, you ass,” Bear half-assed snaps, swatting her husband with the back of her dainty hand with a roll of her eyes. Then she offers me a watery smile and confesses, “He’s right, though, Juni-bear. We’ve missed the bones off you.”
I hiccup a laugh. “I’ve missed you guys, too. I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Of course, we are, kid. We’ve been planning a visit with the twins for the past two weeks now after we learned it was your birthday during the school break. What better time to see you,” Kaleb explains, grinning when my eyes widen and my head snaps in the direction I last saw Lowie and Leylan.
The pair of shitheads wave over at me with matching victory grins at the stand near Geo like that will save them, and I shake my head at them, too stunned to run over and noogie them like I want.
“We would have come sooner, but the boys explained the whole accident and kidnapping, followed very quickly by your heat,” Bear explains, holding her hand out for mine. I give it freely, and her smile grows watery once more, her emotions bubbling over until a tear falls from her eye. “You’ve grown up on me, Juni-bear. Such a beautiful girl. And my official daughter at that.”
“Oh, hell, don’t say that,” I damn near wail, now on the brink of sobbing, my emotions all over the damned place. “You’ll set me off for real, Mama.”
“Guess we’re gonna have to get all the tears out now, because we’re here for the next week and we plan on spending it all with you and the boys,” Crane informs, grinning at me when my eyes widen again. “Get the tears all out now, because we’ve got plans that only include laughter and good times.”
“Yes, sir,” I snicker, wiping my face of my tears and taking a steadying breath.
Bear laughs a tinkling sound before she rubs the back of my hand with her thumb and gently instructs, “How about you get a drink and come sit with us for a while. I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to since we last saw you. I want to get to know my daughter all over again. ”
I’m nodding rapidly and falling into another hug filled with warmth, love, and everything I ever wanted in a mother. By the time we part, we’re both battling our tears, and I laugh before I whisper, “Love you, Mama Bear.”
She laughs right back, cupping my face as she says, “Love you, too, Juni-bear.”
Before I break down even more, she winks and leaves with her husbands, heading toward a free patio seat.
With a shake of my head, I wipe my face and take a deep breath, heading in search of alcohol. Because if there’s one thing I need today, it’s alcohol. As soon as I’m loaded with two bottles that I plan on drinking one after the other, I pause near the mini fridge and look over the people scattered over the yard with a smile.
Past and present collided, old and new loves all here, celebrating my birthday, bringing the missing color and vibrancy to my life that I’ve been missing for the past eight years. I never thought I’d find a family this big, never expected to find my pack again, but now that I have? Hell, I couldn’t picture my life any differently now.
In the weeks that have passed since my kidnapping and almost murder, I’ve realized how truly lucky I am. I’ve been blessed with a pack who stood by me through every minute of my physical and mental recovery after the Burton brothers tried to kill me. Turns out there was more damage there than I anticipated, all of which hit me after my heat and my nightmares ruled my life for a little while. They were there when the bastards were sentenced, locked away in prison for life, and celebrated with me when the keys were thrown away. They held my hand as police officers explained that the Burton brothers paid for someone to watch my every move, following me and reporting back to them, so they knew my whereabouts at all times. They stuck by my side when I heard news of Hershal passing away in prison, helping me navigate that particular landmine of emotions. They helped tear up the letter Tori wrote me, without bothering to read it, and helped me forget about the pack that brought me into the world .
But most of all, they’ve been there to love, cherish, and take care of me through every second of the day. Ever since we stumbled back into one another’s lives, they’ve been by my side, lifting me up when I’m down, supporting whatever I need, and bringing me the peace and comfort only they could bring.
I came to North five University with the hope of finding a fresh start and a new lease on life. Little did I know I’d be reunited with the men who stole my heart. And little did I know it would be the best decision I ever made in my life.
The End.